Hello,
 
I recorded several short projects each consisting of two audio tracks over the weekend. I noticed the hard drive(s) running almost non-stop during each session. The drives stopped when I closed Sonar.
 
Are there config settings I should be looking at? Or would this be considered normal?
 
Thanks,
Ardjunc

I'm pretty sure that's desired behavior. I see you have a StudioCat system. Jim likely configured the system so the drives don't fall asleep. When they do it can cause weirdness for recording/playback. 

From the X1 manual :

"Enable read and write caching

By default, SONAR bypasses all disk caching, which typically results in better performance with audio data. If your computer has an older IDE disk controller, or a disk controller that does not use DMA transfers, enabling caching may improve SONAR's audio performance.

Note: Changes to these settings only take effect when you restart SONAR.

Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio - Sync and Caching to change the Enable Read Caching and Enable Write Caching settings. "

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This would explain a disk being constantly "on" during recording.

Caching is reliant on most data requests being relatively small, while audio processing involves typically much much larger amounts of data, and that eclipses the design of caching mechanisms.

Bob Bone

I'm pretty sure that's desired behavior.

+1


If you are trying to record real time data the last thing you want is for the drive to spin down. A very large cache somewhere might save you, but there is a distinct possibility that you would lose data (recording) during the time it would take to spin the drive up again. That type of energy saving behavior was designed so that clerks typing reports on their laptops in flight would not run out of battery power. For audio recording it is a bad idea.

Yeah...I want my hard drives firing on all cylinders...

An HD should be running all the time unless its a green drive. I think you are seeing it being accessed all the time and that is required when you are recording or playing back. 

You don't want it to stop rotating.  It is meant to do that. If you are using a laptop they try to put the HD to sleep to conserve battery life. A desktop keeps them up and running for quick access.